When your stomach is growling or you want to get your daily coffee fix, check the time before you head downtown. Many restaurants in Auburn are changing their hours with the beginning of the summer semester.
The departure of students from campus because of graduation, vacation and summer jobs has lead to a loss of customers in some of the local restaurants and coffee shops.
Kevan Bizilia, owner of Bizilia's in Auburn, has noticed the decrease of customers. He said there are not that many people because they are going out of town. Other owners and managers have also noticed the decline of business and adjusted their hours accordingly.
Bizilia's, which stays open until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the regular semester, now closes at 9 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday, the restaurant closes at 3 p.m.
Taylor's Bakery opens each day at 7 a.m., but during the first minimester it will close at 2 p.m. and reopen from 7 p.m. until midnight Monday through Thursday. This is a change from the regular semester, when the hours are 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday.
Tim Roy, a barista at Taylor's Bakery said there has been less business because customers do not realize that the store now closes at 2 p.m. and opens again at 7 p.m. each day during the summer. Between the confusion over hours and the beginning of summer, the restaurant has lost business. "There are not as many people," Roy said.
Other restaurants and coffee shops have also changed their hours.
Big Blue now closes at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Cambridge Coffee closes at 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Courtni Ward, an employee at Big Blue said the heat of the summer keeps many customers from venturing downtown. "You just can't make as much money," she said.
Sarah Barnett, manager of Cambridge Coffee had similar reasons for changing the summer hours. "It's a fraction of the business," she said. Barnett added that the end of finals has lead to less business because the majority of the customers at Cambridge Coffee are students. "Once the Maymester is over, we could cut it back even more," she said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
